Most Popular
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
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Nominee for chief of anti-corruption body pledges 'independence, effectiveness'
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Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year
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Samsung chief bolsters ties with Germany’s Zeiss
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KT launches new mobile plans for foreign residents
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Defense minister briefed Moon on DSC reform plan: Cheong Wa Dae
The presidential office on Wednesday confirmed that President Moon Jae-in was briefed by Defense Minister Song Young-moo on the reform plan for the scandal-ridden military intelligence command during a closed-door meeting. According to Cheong Wa Dae, Moon met with Song and senior presidential aides on Friday evening -- hours after the presidential office announced a plan to create a new military command to replace the Defense Security Command. Following the announcement, the Defense Ministry s
Aug. 8, 2018
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Ministry to harness cutting-edge technologies to enhance military logistics
Korea's defense ministry on Wednesday announced a plan to capitalize on big data, 3D printing, drones and other cutting-edge technologies to strengthen the military's logistical support capabilities.The plan is part of the Defense Reform 2.0 initiative aimed at creating a smaller yet smarter military capable of handling traditional and nontraditional security threats from inside and outside the peninsula. (Yonhap)"So as to expand logistical support capabilities and efficiency, the defense minis
Aug. 8, 2018
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Martial law investigation expands, former DSC brass grilled
Investigators looking into the military intelligence unit’s alleged wrongdoings are seeking an extension and more personnel for the probe, local media reported Tuesday. According to reports citing unnamed Ministry of National Defense sources, the team requested Defense Minister Song Young-moo approve a 30-day extension on Tuesday. Defense Security Command in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. YonhapThe team of military and civilian prosecutors is looking into allegations the Defense Security Command
Aug. 7, 2018
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Defense minister calls for Turkey’s support for Korea peace efforts
South Korea’s Defense Minister Song Young-moo called for Turkey’s support for Seoul’s efforts to achieve denuclearization and lasting peace on the peninsula, his ministry said Tuesday.On Monday, Song held talks with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar in Ankara over a range of issues, including security on the peninsula and cooperation in the arms industry. He began a six-day trip Sunday, which will also take him to India later this week. Defense Minister Song Young-moo (L) shakes hands with his
Aug. 7, 2018
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Preparatory team for new intel command launched
The defense ministry launched a team Monday to prepare for the creation of a new command to supplant the scandal-ridden defense intelligence unit, long dogged by allegations of political interference.The launch is in line with President Moon Jae-in's order last Friday to dissolve and reorganize the Defense Security Command following revelations that it explored the possibility of imposing martial law to quash anti-government protests last year.Lt. Gen. Nam Young-sin, the newly appointed command
Aug. 6, 2018
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Joint team to be launched this week for probe of last month's chopper crash
A joint team consisting of civilians and military and government officials will be launched this week to investigate last month's marine chopper crash that killed five troops, a marine official said Monday.The team will begin operation on Wednesday with some 40 members, including 10 civilian experts recommended by the bereaved families and others selected by several state agencies such as the police and the land, infrastructure and transport ministry. It will be led by Kwon Jae-sang, emeritus pr
Aug. 6, 2018
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All DSC members will return to original units during disbandment process: official
All members of an embattled military intelligence unit will return to their original outfits during its disbandment process, a government official said Sunday, a move aimed at facilitating the complete overhaul of the command marred by allegations of political interference.In line with President Moon Jae-in’s order Friday, the military authorities will disband and reorganize the Defense Security Command that has recently been criticized for its alleged review of the martial law imposition last y
Aug. 5, 2018
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Defense minister urges intelligence unit to step up efforts to gain public trust
South Korea's defense minister urged an embattled military intelligence unit Saturday to stay away from politics and give up a sense of privilege in order to regain trust from the public. Song Young-moo made the remarks during an inauguration ceremony for Lt. Gen. Nam Young-sin as the head of the Defense Security Command in the unit's headquarters, south of Seoul."I came to stand here with a heavier mind than ever," Song said. "I am seeing you with a sense of urgency that the DSC should be rebor
Aug. 5, 2018
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Defense ministry strengthens whistleblower protection
The defense ministry has revised its disciplinary action ordinance to strengthen protection for whistleblowers that expose corruption cases in the military establishment, officials said Friday.Under the revision that took effect on Wednesday, any uniformed officer or public official in the military who attempts to track down a whistleblower will face heavy punishments, including dismissal and expulsion. (Yonhap)Those who issue a directive to hunt down an internal informant or get involved in any
Aug. 3, 2018
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Govt., Army to jointly develop military supplies best fitting Koreans
The government and the military will jointly develop military uniforms and supplies that fit best for Koreans by sharing and using big data, officials said Friday.The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Army Logistics Command will work together based on their memorandum of understanding to be finalized later in the day. (Yonhap)KATS will provide the technological elements that it has accrued through its "Size Korea" project, under
Aug. 3, 2018
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Defense Security Command to be greatly weakened
The Ministry of National Defense on Thursday announced a reform plan for its military intelligence unit that would largely disband the organization. The reform plan would cut the number of staff at the Defense Security Command by one-third, as part of an overhaul of the scandal-ridden powerful military intelligence command. The Defense Ministry’s DSC reform panel also said that all laws and regulations concerning the organization would be lifted and the DSC commander would be banned from briefin
Aug. 2, 2018
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Army struggles to reinvent itself amid waning fortunes
The Army used to be the indisputably dominant branch in South Korea's military for decades, with its retirees occupying key policymaking posts and its generals taking the helm of joint forces and defense intelligence operations.But it has experienced a dramatic reversal of fortunes over the past year, as its members have been mired in allegations of political interference that have sapped public confidence and troop morale, and prompted calls for reform.The waning of its influence was more palpa
Aug. 2, 2018
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US Congress passes defense bill restricting drawdown of troops in S. Korea
WASHINGTON -- The United States Congress on Wednesday passed a defense authorization bill that restricts any drawdown of American troops in South Korea.The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, which approves $716 billion for defense in fiscal year 2019, passed the Senate by a vote of 87-10 after passing through the House of Representatives last week.The bill has now been sent to US President Donald Trump to sign into law. (Yonhap)The legislation notes that about 28,500 American tro
Aug. 2, 2018
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Buried for more than 60 years, US war remains finally head home
Draped in white-and-blue United Nations flags, boxes of remains from the Korean War were unloaded from a group of vans one by one under the scorching sun at US Osan airbase in South Korea on Wednesday. A total of 55 boxes were then carried by the honor guard from the UN Command and loaded onto two C-17 Globalmaster cargo planes heading for Hawaii. Dozens of service members and a military honor guard lined up on the tarmac to mark the return of the fallen troops. After four F-16 fighter jets flew
Aug. 1, 2018
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Korean military seeks to boost women's role, enhance political neutrality
The defense ministry on Wednesday announced additional military reform measures, including allowing female troops to gain greater access to combat positions and strengthening rules on political neutrality.The measures are part of efforts to flesh out the Defense Reform 2.0 that the ministry unveiled last Friday to create a slimmer yet stronger military in light of uncertain security conditions and evolving transnational and nonmilitary threats. (Yonhap)Among them is a plan to expand the propor
Aug. 1, 2018
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Defense unit dismisses allegations of martial law document after Roh’s 2004 impeachment
The Defense Security Command on Tuesday dismissed an opposition floor leader’s allegations that it drew up a document on the possible imposition of martial law after the 2004 impeachment of liberal former President Roh Moo-hyun.Earlier in the day, Rep. Kim Sung-tae of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party raised the allegations amid criticism that the DSC explored the possibility of imposing martial law to quash public protests against then-President Park Geun-hye. Soldiers at the entrance to
July 31, 2018
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Two Koreas’ generals hold talks to end cross-border hostilities
The two Koreas’ militaries “broadly agreed” on the need for disarming a jointly controlled area at the truce village of Panmunjom and excavating war remains inside the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, Seoul’s Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday. At general-level military talks held at Panmunjom Tuesday, the two sides’ delegates shared the need for the withdrawal of guard posts from the DMZ on a trial basis and suspension of hostile activities in the West Sea, the ministry said. The
July 31, 2018
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Recovering war remains best way to honor fallen heroes
PAJU, Gyeonggi Province -- Under the scorching sun at Gamaksan in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Lt. Col. Ju Gyeong-bae has been standing for hours looking for something unusual in the popular tourist destination famous for having the longest suspension bridge in South Korea. Wearing battle dress with a black vest, the 51-year-old Army officer looked as if he were trying to sell something. In fact, he was promoting collecting DNA samples from family members who had lost their loved ones during the K
July 30, 2018
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NGO accuses military intelligence unit of tapping former president
The military’s intelligence unit wiretapped a former president and defense minister and collected intelligence on a large number of civilians, a nongovernmental organization alleged Monday. The latest allegation against the Defense Security Command comes as the Ministry of National Defense speeds up the process of drawing up reform plans for the military intelligence unit. Lim Tae-hoon, chief of Center for Military Human Rights, speaks during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. YonhapOn Mond
July 30, 2018
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Two Koreas to hold general-level military talks this week
The two Koreas are set to hold general-level military talks Tuesday to discuss measures to enforce the military part of their April summit agreement.The meeting, the first since June 14, will take place at the Peace House, a South Korea-controlled building at the truce village of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, at 10 a.m., according to Seoul officials.Major Gen. Kim Do-gyun will lead South Korea’s five-member delegation, while the North Korean side will be repr
July 30, 2018